Oedipus and the Sphinx Kylix

A bearded Oedipus, dressed in a traveler's hat and cloak sits on a rock, left. His legs and arms are crossed, his chin resting on the back of his left hand. A sword or walking stick rests against his legs. He stares at the Sphinx, right, who sits on a short pillar. Her(?) wings are swept back against her cat body and slightly raised. She wears a crown or diadem on her head. A circular meander encloses the scene.

Detail of the interior of an Attic red-figure kylix. Oedipus appears to be contemplating the Sphinx's riddle. Excavated in Vulci.

Online Resources
Image Source
Vatican Museums MV.16541.0.0
Subjects
Oedipus
Sphinx
Type
Image
License
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike
Agent
Oedipus Painter
Date
ca. 470-460 BCE
Culture
Greek
Medium
terracotta
Dimensions
h. 7.2 cm, diameter 26.4 cm
Location
Vatican Museums, Museo Gregoriano Etrusco
Image Credit
Carole Raddato

Cadmus fetching water

Cadmus (center) dressed in a chiton and cloak flees left, turning his head back to look at a seated woman wearing a chiton and hair covering. Next to her is a snake. rising to strike. Cadmus holds an amphora in his left hand and raises his right, preparing to throw a rock. Athena (far left) stands behind Cadmus, wearing her helmet and carrying a spear in her left hand. Behind the woman is Ares (far right), armored, helmeted, carrying a spear in his right hand and shield in his left.

Attic red-figure calyx krater depicting Cadmus fetching water from a spring guarded by a snake, the son of Ares. The seated woman may represent the nymph associated with the spring. Background vegetation and the rock upon which she is seated are rendered by faintly visible incised lines.

Online Resources
Metropolitan Museum of Art 07.286.66
Subjects
Cadmus
Ares
Athena
Type
Image
License
Creative Commons Attribution
Agent
The Spreckles Painter
Date
ca. 450 BCE
Culture
Greek
Medium
terracotta
Dimensions
H. 18 in. (45.7 cm), diameter of mouth 17 5/8 in. (44.7 cm)
Inscription
Inscribed: "Eualkos is fair" and "Alones [misspelled] is fair"
Location
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image Credit
Metropolitan Museum of Art

Cadmus and the Dragon amphora

A bearded, armored Cadmus(?) wearing a crested helmet holds a snake or dragon by the neck with his left hand and raises his sword with his right. The snake's mouth is open and its forked tongue is sticking out. On the far right, another bearded and helmeted soldier assists be grabbing the snake from behind. On the far left, behind Cadmus, stands a beared man holding a staff or crook and wearing a cloak.

Body decoration of a Greek amphora, perhaps depicting Cadmus fighting the dragon. Musée du Louvre collection number Cp 266, catalogue number E 707.

Online Resources
Image Source
Musée du Louvre
Subjects
Cadmus
Dragon
Type
Image
License
Creative Commons Attribution
Agent
Uknown
Date
ca. 560–550 BCE
Culture
Greek
Medium
terracotta
Dimensions
h. 25.4 cm, l. 18.5 cm, d. 17.4 cm
Location
Musée du Louvre
Image Credit
Wikipedia user Bibi Saint-Pol

Theseus and the Minotaur Black-figure plate

Theseus (center) in right profile, wearing a loincloth and a wreath on his head. He holds a sword in his right hand, stabbing the Minotaur in the neck. The Minotaur (right) is in profile with his head turned back toward Theseus; he holds a rock in each hand. Ariadne (left) is dressed in a peplos with a long panel of embroidery or decoration down the middle of the skirt and more at the hem. She turns left as if to leave, but looks back toward Theseus. Her left arm is raised, gesturing.

Interior of an Attic black-figure plate showing Theseus killing the Minotaur. The plate was found in pieces, reassembled, and restored. Acropolis Museum, Ακρ. 13808.

Online Resources
Image Source
Acropolis Museum
Subjects
Ariadne
Theseus
Minotaur
Type
Image
License
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike
Agent
Lydos
Date
550-540 BCE
Culture
Greek
Medium
terracotta
Dimensions
Diameter: 0.25 m, Base diameter: 0.183 m
Location
Acropolis Museum, Athens
Image Credit
Wikimedia: Zde

Lefkandi Centaur

Terracotta centaur, the horse body is wheel-made with a small hole in the chest of the horse for ventilation during firing. The human portion is handmade. Reddish-brown paint decorates the horse back and human chest and arms with geometric patterns. The left arm is missing just below the bicep. The right arm is bent with the six-fingered hand resting on his hip. There is a vertical gash on the front left leg at approximately the knee. The head was broken off and reattached.

Terracotta figurine of a centaur, possibly intended to depict Chiron based on the gash incised on the lower left front leg. Excavated from Toumba cemetery, Lefkandi, Euboea. 

Online Resources
Image Source
Subjects
centaur
Chiron
Type
Image
License
Creative Commons Attribution
Agent
Unknown
Date
ca. second half of the 10th century BCE
Culture
Greek
Medium
terracotta
Dimensions
36 cm tall
Location
Archaeological Museum of Eretria
Image Credit
wikimedia: Jebulon

Euphronios Krater

Hypnos (foreground center left) and Thanatos (foreground center right) lift the body of Sarpedon (foreground center) overseen by Hermes (background center). Sarpedon bleeds from three wounds-one to the left pectoral, one to the lower right abdomen, and one to the right thigh. Hermes wears his winged helmet and carries his caduceus in his left hand. His right hand is raised, perhaps in direction. The scene is flanked by Laodamas and Hippolytos. All the characters are named by inscriptions.

Hypnos and Thanatos (Sleep and Death) carry the body of Sarpedon off the battlefield while Hermes watches. Red-figure calyx krater by Euphronios (painter) and Euxitheos (potter).Formerly Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia L.2006.10, now in the Museo Nazionale Archeologico Cerite. Photo by Jaime Ardiles-Arce via Wikimedia Commons.

Online Resources
Wikimedia Commons
Beazely Archive Pottery Database
Associated Passages
1063-1081
Date
c. 515 BCE
Medium
terracotta
Location
National Archaeological Museum of Cerite, Cerveteri, Italy
Image Credit
Wikimedia Commons

Hades and Persephone holding court, detail from an Apulian red-figure krater

Hades and Persephone (center) sit on a couch in their palace. Persephone glances toward Hades who looks out at Hermes (upper right) and Orpheus (lower right). Hermes sits on a stool holding a hydria in his right hand and his caduceus in his left. Below him Orpheus stands holding a kithara in his right hand and plectrum in his left. Megara sits on a pedestal outside  the palace(upper left) with her two sons. Below (lower left) a woman, possibly Hecate, stands holding torches in each hand.

Hades and Persephone holding court from their palace. Detail from an Apulian red-figure volute krater attributed to White Sakkos Painter, Antikensammlung Kiel Inv. B 585. Photo by  Marcus Cyron via Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0

Online Resources
Wikimedia Commons
Antikensammlung Kiel
Associated Passages
782-806
License
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike
Date
c. 320 BCE
Medium
terracotta
Location
Antikensammlung Kiel
Image Credit
Wikimedia Commons
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